Declared by Messiaen himself to be a master interpreter of his works, renowned pianist Roger Muraro will perform in three concerts for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in late September which will showcase the music for which he has become critically acclaimed.
When Muraro last visited Sydney in 1988, he was guest artist in Messiaen's tour of Australia. His performances earned high praise from audiences and composer alike and in this long-awaited return visit he appears both in recital and with the full Orchestra.
A former student at the Paris Conservatory, in Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen's class, winner of the First Prize of the International Franz Liszt Competition in Parma and prize-winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Roger Muraro is today considered one the finest performers of Olivier Messaien's works. In 1988, when the pianist performed the Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus in Paris, the composer congratulated him with these works : "Thanks to Roger Muraro for his absolutely sublime complete performance of this very difficult work! With my fullest admiration for his dazzling technique, mastery, his sound qualities, emotion and, I might dare say, his faith…".
It is those qualities described by Olivier Messiaen that enable Roger Muraro to play, with moving sincerity, composers whose music leaves a large part to the imagination, to the world of childhood and dreams. In recent years he's become particularly renowned for his interpretation of the works of Schumann, Mozart and Ravel.
This pianist of Italian origin has collaborated with leading conductors such as Zubin Mehta, David Robertson and Pascal Rophé and with prestigious orchestras including the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris. His concerts the world over have been hailed by critics who hear in him an artist of purity and a moving colourist of impressive virtuosity.
In his most recent season 2006-2007, Roger Muraro performed many concerts in France both in recital and with orchestras, undertook two tours in Japan and several concerts in Portugal. He also performed in Riga, Leipzig and Vienna, and in Paris where, in addition to concerts with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, he was asked to give a recital in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. During his 2007-2008 season, Muraro performs concerts in Australia, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Ireland and France. For the past year he has also been a teacher with the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Roger Muraro records for Accord – Universal Music.
The first concert program in Sydney is "Roger Muraro in Recital" and includes works by Messiaen, Ravel, Debussy and Albeniz. This recital explores the exotic musical worlds of Debussy and Albeniz, whose music both Messiaen and Debussy held in high esteem. It is a program which combines earthiness, delicacy and transcendence performed with Muraro's trademark virtuosity and intelligence.
In the second concert program "Musical Dawn" (two performances) Muraro performs the Mozart Piano Concerto in A, K488. Also in this program, Haydn greets the morning with his sixth symphony, which begins with a sunrise and features delightful solos for the low voices of the Orchestra while Poulenc explores his musical heritage with a quirky and delightful re-imagining of 16th-century French dances in his Suite Française. Mozart's Piano Concerto in A is an archetype of classical grace and beauty which, with its impassioned, even operatic, second movement, has been described as 'a portrait of a goddess'.
Both 'Roger Muraro in Recital' and Thursday's performance of 'Musical Dawn' will be held at City Recital Hall, Angel Place; on Friday morning 'Musical Dawn' can be heard at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. -- www.sydneysymphony.com
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